What would happen if I threw 235/50R-17 tires on the car (obviously with 17 inch wheels instead)? I think they'd be taller, but would it be by much?

If I am correct that the OEM 16" tire that you have is a 215/55/16 (I need you to verify for numbers to be correct), then you are looking at approximately 11.95mm of additional height (23.9mm additional total diameter) with the 235/50/17's. That gives you an additional 75.1mm of circumference and will throw your speedometer off by about 3.58%.

While I give relatively specific numbers, there is an amount of fudge factor due to tire pressure, vehicle loading, tire bulge, etc. This will also affect the ability to place spacers if you so wish.